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You want to continue the drill through all of the other legs
on the pattern. Stop your student at random lengths while taking
the initial line. Teach the dog to stop and face you in all
different wind directions. Be sure to continue driving the dog
all the way through to the same dummy pile several times to maintain
good attitude on running the line.
Once this is learned, we will transition to a related drill.
Line the spaniel to a 100-yard pile, using the same initial
line throughout our session. Stop the dog at the 60-yard mark
and give him a left or right
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hand "over" cast. We want him
to pick up a dummy from the adjoining line that has dummies set
out at the 60-yard mark. Like many drills, it is best to begin
this session by sending the spaniel into the wind. The spaniel's
nose will pick up the scent from the dummy pile.
Continue to drill this in every different wind direction. Cast
the dog back, left and right with the "over" command.
Move up to help the dog when you are given a cast refusal.
Remember you are teaching them to leave their initial line and
take an over cast until they find the blind bird. You can even
use an initial 60-yard line, stop them half way and cast them
"over" to a 100-yard line |
then cast "back" to the dummy pile.
However you must maintain and teach them that the initial line,
if taken properly, is the right line to take to the blind bird.
So drill this more often than stopping and casting. We are
only going to handle them if they drift off line and/or to get
them on the right side of the wind. We are very close to running
cold blinds.
While teaching this part of handling, be very careful and don't
be too harsh on your reprimand. This will cause them to freeze
up. You will start getting a lot of "no goes" and
cast refusals. This is a very technical drill. However, it
also must be fun for you and, most importantly, your spaniel.
Next month we do the real thing and run a cold blind.
David Krassler owns Cirtari Kennel and hails from Middlefield
MA
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